Year 8 - German
Then and now: the comparative
Then and now: imperfect tense and comparatives
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
This unit introduces the imperfect tense forms war, hatte, and es gab to compare places and experience in the past and present. The comparative is also introduced, and adjective endings revisited.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to compare the present with the past using comparatives.
Key Notes
- Care is needed with [ich] and [isch] when listening and speaking.
- Comparative statements are created by adding -er to most adjectives, e.g., 'lustiger' + 'als'.
- Some adjectives need an additional change to make the comparative, e.g., 'lang' becomes 'länger'.
- 'Gut' works like English: its comparative is 'besser', like 'good' becomes 'better' in English.
- 'Mehr' is an adverb that can be used by itself as a comparative.
Vocabulary To Learn
- adjective: word that gives information about a noun
- adverb: word that describes a verb or an adjective
- comparative: form of adjective or adverb used to compare people, things or ideas
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Like in English, a word for 'more' is needed in German when making comparisons like 'more difficult' or 'more interesting'.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain what you can now say or understand in this lesson.
Care is needed with [ich] and [isch] when listening and speaking. Comparative statements are created by adding -er to most adjectives, e.g., 'lustiger' + 'als'.
2. Define this key language word and use it in context. 'adjective'
word that gives information about a noun. Say or write it in a short sentence so you use the word actively.
3. Correct this common language-learning mistake.
Mistake: Like in English, a word for 'more' is needed in German when making comparisons like 'more difficult' or 'more interesting'. Correction: German adjectives form comparatives by adding -er; there is no need to include 'more', e.g., more interesting > 'interessanter'; more difficult >'schwieriger'. English does this with 1- and some 2-syllable adjectives, e.g., 'small' > 'smaller'.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Places and people: now or then? Imperfect tense: 'war', 'hatte', 'gab' Study Guide
- Then and now: comparatives and plurals Study Guide
- This year and in the past: perfect tense with 'früher' and 'noch nicht' Study Guide
- What was it like then? Imperfect tense: 'war, hatte, gab, damals, früher' Study Guide
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